Westpac launches new brand platform in first work from BMF
Westpac and BMF’s creative partnership has kicked off with a bang, with a new brand platform launching this week.
The agency won the account earlier this year, after a review process in late 2024. The win was significant, as it ended a 13-year relationship between Westpac and incumbent agency DDB Sydney. The Westpac account was serviced by one of the largest teams in the agency, led by managing partner Vanessa Boueyres, who departed in February.
The new brand platform by BMF, “It Takes A Little Westpac”, acts as the foundation of Westpac’s future brand direction. It will be followed by a broader national above-the-line campaign.
“It Takes A Little Westpac” is described as reflecting the role the bank plays in helping Aussies achieve their financial goals, as a “behind the scenes driver of action”. This first iteration, which focuses on the bank’s home lending and digital saving features, is live nationally across television, digital, and OOH channels.
It comes off the back of research, commissioned by Westpac, that found a majority of Aussies (80%) said “good” banks keep them moving forward.
The research also found two-thirds of Aussies feel competing life priorities prevent them from achieving their financial goals, while half manage their financial decisions in the moment. 32% said having too many tasks, or not knowing where to start, gets in the way, while 23% said they are impeded by busy schedules and competing responsibilities.
The new brand platform hopes to address these concerns, positioning Westpac as a bank that fits seamlessly into their daily rhythm, according to Carolyn McCann, acting chief executive of Westpac’s consumer division.
She said customers don’t want the bank the be “the hero” of the story, instead they “want us to take the actions – little or big – that get their finances sorted”.
“‘It takes a little Westpac’ reflects how we want to show up for our customers – a bank that supports momentum in practical, everyday ways, turning intent into action through useful tools, personalised support and consistent follow-through,” she said in a release on Monday.
“Whether saving for a special item, aspirations to buy a home, or wanting to start a business, we’re demonstrating Westpac’s role as a quiet enabler of progress to help customers achieve their goals.”
BMF’s chief strategist, Christina Aventi, added that the campaign highlights how Westpac can “show up” in the “in-between” moments in a relevant and useful way: “Life today is full, fast and often unpredictable, and even the most capable people need support to keep moving.”
In the release, she described the brand platform as a “long idea designed to stretch, pratically and emotionally”. She said it reflects a brand that “enables momentum without needing to be at the centre of the story”.
The new brand platform comes before Westpac undergoes a change of marketing hands, with new chief growth and marketing officer Michelle Klein joining later this year.
She will fill the vacant role left by Annabel Fribence, who departed in January amid an overhaul from new CEO Anthony Miller. Former Westpac marketer Elaine Herlihy had stepped back into the business as a strategic advisor and interim CMO. Fribence — who was chief brand and marketing officer — has since taken on the CMO role at Macca’s.
As part of the changes made by Miller at the start of the year, Mumbrella understands that branding has instead fallen under the remit of McCann. She was previously customer and corporate affairs executive, before taking on the interim chief role.
It also comes following the set up of a new paid media team, with a newly-appointed head to be announced in due course. The new team was created after Westpac made up to 30 redundancies within its in-house media division in May.
Credits:
Client: Westpac
Creative agency: BMF
Out of home: Westpac IHA
Director: Tom Campbell
Production company: Good Oil
Edit & Post-production: ARC
Sound production: Rumble Studios
Music supervision: Level Two
DOP: Jeremy Rouse
Media agency: Spark Foundry
Performance creative: CX Lavendar
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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topics
BMF
brand platform
Campaign
Carolyn McCann
Christina Aventi
It Takes A Little Westpac
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